Dithiothreitol tetraacetate S-acetyl esterase activity in blood and in different tissues of male rats.

Dithiothreitol is known to be effective in vitro to prevent or even revert effects of oxidative stress and radiation in biological systems. However, its use in in vivo conditions has been hampered by its chemical instability and toxicity. Dithiothreitol tetraacetate is stable and less toxic than dithiothreitol. In this work, GLC-MS evidence is presented that dithiothreitol tetraacetate is hydrolyzed in vivo to give dithiothreitol. The activity of a dithiothreitol tetraacetate thiol esterase in blood and in different organs was determined and found to be: small intestine >> liver > pancreas >> testes approximately kidney > or = brain approximately adrenals approximately bone marrow approximately colon approximately lung > plasma approximately heart > total blood. These results suggest that dithiothreitol tetraacetate might be a suitable source of more stable and less toxic dithiothreitol in vivo, and that its production is due to an hydrolytic process requiring a dithiothreitol tetraacetate thiol esterase present in different organs and in blood.